It won't be easy to beat Australia: Kirti Azad

Jammu: India might have the home advantage over Australia, but former cricketer Kirti Azad on Friday said that the Michael Clarke-led team cannot be taken lightly.

"India is playing at home but we cannot take Australia lightly. They fight till the last ball is delivered and it won't be an easy task to beat them," Azad, who was a member of the 1983 World Cup winning squad, told reporters in Jammu.

On Sachin Tendulkar's inclusion in the team, the 54-year-old said he was expecting the senior cricketer to fire against Aussies.

"It is always good to have a player of Tendulkar's quality in your side. I expect him to come good with the bat against Australia," Azad said.

On the opening day of the first Test match being played at the M A Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, Clarke led from the front with an unbeaten 103 to take Australia past the 300-run mark even as off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin finished the day with impressive figures of six for 88.

India are scheduled to play four Tests against Australia over the next one month.